Hurricane Matthew

[Inky_Wretch]

Good luck to any SJers in the cone of uncertainty.

I'm hoping the model with Florida getting hit twice doesn't happen.

 

[Steak Snabler]

The good news appears to be that the dreaded "northeast quadrant" should stay over the ocean unless it really veers inland.

Looking more and more likely that Florida-LSU and Georgia-South Carolina games could be postponed.

AJC floated the idea that UGA-South Carolina could play in the Georgia Dome, but Georgia State has a home game on Saturday. Maybe they could play Sunday since the Falcons are out of town.

 

[Big Circus]

Most importantly for everyone, my fresh grading job and grass seed in my Virginia backyard should be safe. Thanks to everyone who sent thoughts and prayers.

 

[Cosmo]

 

[expendable]

I hope it goes alright alright alright, back over the ocean.


Thanks, by the way, for setting that on a tee.

 

[LongTimeListener]

One final attempt at Obama's Katrina.

 

[Amy]

As Matthew moves over the Bahamas and towards Florida, it's become more of a track than a cone. Unfortunately, the 2:00 update is not good for my part of the State. Although they don't know exactly where it will go, it will likely be close and be a Category 3 or 4. My house is 15 - 20 miles from the coast so everyone keep hoping Matthew stays over the Atlantic. Every mile away helps.

Oh - and I will be fine. I have almost all my hurricane shutters up. I'll finish the last two tomorrow when the weather starts to turn. I'm avoiding the cave effect as long as possible. I also have a working generator with plenty of fuel. As long as I don't lose my roof, I will be OK.

It's still pretty ****ing scary.

 

[Big Circus]

In all seriousness, Amy and any other Florida SJers, please stay safe.

 

[Buck]

Hopefully turns into a non-event, but pleae take all necessary precautions and stay safe.

 

[FileNotFound]

Will be monitoring anxiously from the state's other coast, which seems to be safe for now. Probably will be a little breezy here Thursday and Friday.

 

[albert77]

Having spent three weeks without power after Katrina, I believe I'm going to start going over my hurricane protocol tonight when I get home from work. Just in case. There were things I didn't do for Katrina that I wish I'd done (like fill the bathtubs with fresh water), and since I don't have to be on call for hurricane coverage, I could plan to evacuate if I so choose. But we'll see what it does before we start to really worry. As has been said already, I hope all the SJers in Florida stay safe.

 

[ChrisLong]

I have a couple of friends in Charleston, S.C., including the columnist. Saw a weather map that looked ominous. Hang tough, friends.

 

[HanSenSE]

Decision on Georgia-South Carolina Thursday.

 

[Batman]

Having spent three weeks without power after Katrina, I believe I'm going to start going over my hurricane protocol tonight when I get home from work. Just in case. There were things I didn't do for Katrina that I wish I'd done (like fill the bathtubs with fresh water), and since I don't have to be on call for hurricane coverage, I could plan to evacuate if I so choose. But we'll see what it does before we start to really worry. As has been said already, I hope all the SJers in Florida stay safe.

Wouldn't be a bad idea to fill up a couple of gas cans this week. One of the forecast models calls for this thing to do a loop-de-loop and circle back through the Keys and then likely into the Gulf.

 

[outofplace]

My older brother and two of his three children live near Charleston, S.C, outside the mandatory evacuation zone but close enough that they are still being told it would be a good idea to go. My nephews are headed to stay with their sister over an hour farther inland. but my brother is staying. He's a former volunteer fireman and EMT, so they asked him to stay at the fire house and help out. I get that he is trained for this and the building is designed to take a beating, but I'd still feel a heck of a lot better if he was farther inland, too.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

Having spent three weeks without power after Katrina, I believe I'm going to start going over my hurricane protocol tonight when I get home from work. Just in case. There were things I didn't do for Katrina that I wish I'd done (like fill the bathtubs with fresh water), and since I don't have to be on call for hurricane coverage, I could plan to evacuate if I so choose. But we'll see what it does before we start to really worry. As has been said already, I hope all the SJers in Florida stay safe.

Check out an outdoors store for a LifeStraw. They're like $20. But you can filter rainwater or even puddles into potable water with one.

I keep one in my go bag and carry a second one on my forays into the backcountry.

 

[Bronco77]

Many thanks for all the best wishes at this scary and stressful time for those of us in Florida.

As you might imagine, today brought a lot of last-minute shoppers at Publix (bottled water was sold out when I made a run this morning) and long lines at gas stations -- at those that hadn't run out. Also noticed some price-gouging with a lot of gas prices up at least 10 cents since yesterday.

The latest projection brings Matthew about 65-75 miles offshore from where I live and we won't be in the northeast quadrant, so I'm hoping for the best. Definitely too close for comfort, though, and the track could shift, as Florida southwest coasters who went through Hurricane Charley know all too well. We had storm-resistant impact windows installed about two weeks ago -- haven't made many good investments in my life, but it's looking as if that one was timely.

The potential loop-de-loop for Matthew reminds me of the 2004-05 hurricane seasons, when crazy stuff was happening almost every week.

 

[Amy]

I woke up to great news. Jim Cantore is reporting from Melbourne, 100 miles away from my house.

Track predictions haven't changed significantly. It still looks like I will only get tropical storm winds with a 50% or so chance of Cat 1 wind speeds.

Jim, however, not content to let me breathe a sigh of relief, reminds us regularly they don't really know where the track will end up going and those of us south of him should be scared.

 

[Bronco77]

Just let our three dogs outside. Stiff breeze, occasional showers at the moment.

Wife just got back from another last-minute shopping trip (probably the fourth one we've made over the past two days). Publix opened at 7 a.m., just closed at 10. The folks at the 7-Eleven about a mile away say they will stay open as long as power is on. Based on the current storm track, I'd put the odds of an outage at 50-50 in my area.

The expectation for where I live is for consistent tropical storm-force winds starting later this afternoon and running through early morning if the forecast track holds. The NHC takes a lot of crap when its forecasts are off, but this one has been spot-on to this point -- although I'd love to see this one pass even 25 or 30 miles farther east, which would make a difference in the wind speed on the coast.

I'll probably check in with periodic reports today and tonight for as long as I have an internet connection. Hoping and praying for the best for those who live where conditions are expected to be the worst -- northern Palm Beach County, Treasure Coast, Space Coast and points further north. Stating the obvious, but a Category 4-5 storm running up Florida's east coast is a nightmare scenario I had hoped never to see in my lifetime.

 

[Neutral Corner]

I have a very bright friend who teaches weather science at UGA. He's convinced that it is going to hit around Cape Canaveral, run up the coast, then loop back around and hit near there again. Stay safe, you know the drill. I've weathered many hurricanes over the years, and generally unless you get flooded or your roof goes you can ride it out safely. Best of luck, all.